Guardiola has previously denied accusations he tells his teams to commit 'tactical fouls' to halt opposition counter-attacks. Privately, City are bemused at United letting Solskjaer speak about the issue, mainly because the statistics do not back up the Norwegian's view. In addition, City have amassed 38 yellow cards and one red in the Premier League this season - for United, the figures are 64 and four. If you spend two or three touches… it's not my decision, it's the referee's responsibility to do that." Asked if those comments could influence Marriner, Guardiola said: "That's the reason why, of course.

Source: BBC April 23, 2019 21:22 UTC